A limited amount of core was available, and care was taken to select and preserve specimens suitable for testing. Prepared specimen aspect ratios were as close to 2:1 (or slightly greater) as feasible, with a diameter of ∼90 mm. Uniaxial and confined compression experiments with different confining stresses (σ3=5, 10 and 15 MPa) were carried out using a XTR01 mechanical frame with electrical and hydraulic servo-control systems. During triaxial compression tests, to ensure that the specimen was under uniform hydrostatic stresses before the axial stress was imposed, σr and σa values were simultaneously gradually increased to the pre-established σ3 values, then axial loading imposed at a constant strain rate (5×10−5 s−1) until the axial load dropped and the specimen was irrevocably damaged. This strain rate is rapid compared with the strain rates experienced during the running of a storage facility, as the intent was to explore short-term behavior such as might be encountered, for example, in a case of rapid pressure drawdown in a cavern, or even during the dissolution phase.